Sell Your House in Fall or Wait Until Spring? What Waiting Costs

Does waiting for spring actually pay?

Most homeowners hear the same advice: hold off until spring, when buyer traffic picks up. For some sellers that is right. For many it is a habit, not a calculation. Waiting is not free, and the extra money you hope to earn is not guaranteed.

In a live Q&A published October 20, 2026, Chicago-area agent Kati Spaniak of the channel Sell Your Home With Kati - The Spaniak Group argued that the cost of waiting is routinely ignored. Her bottom line: if you need or want to sell now, list now. A seasonal bump of a few thousand dollars has to be weighed against months of ownership costs and the risk that the market moves against you.

This article uses her comments as a starting point, then adds context on how to run the numbers yourself. It is general information, not personalized financial advice.

What waiting really costs

Spaniak's first point is simple arithmetic. Every month you hold the home, you keep paying for it. She lists the usual items: mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities and HOA dues. She adds a less predictable one: something breaking.

Here is a framework for adding it up. The figures below are hypothetical, to show the method, not market data.

Your own numbers will differ. Note too that part of the mortgage payment goes to principal, which you get back at closing, so interest, taxes, insurance and upkeep are the true "lost" money. Even so, a seller who expects an extra "five or ten thousand dollars" in spring, as Spaniak puts it, should compare that hope with a real total.

Also count the less obvious costs: a vacant or staged home that must stay show-ready, a second housing payment if you have already bought, and the chance that rates, prices or local inventory shift while you wait. Spaniak stresses that nobody knows whether the market will be higher or lower next spring.

Fall competition versus spring competition

The core trade-off is supply and demand within your local market.

In fall and winter, fewer homes are listed because many owners are waiting for spring. Spaniak says that works in your favor: you are one of few options, so your home stands out. The pool of buyers is smaller, but she argues winter shoppers are serious. Few people tour houses in mid-December for fun.

In spring, more buyers are looking, but so are more sellers. Her question for owners is whether it is better to list when few people are looking at homes or when everyone is. She says she does not know the answer for every area, and neither should you assume it.

General public data from sources such as Realtor.com and Redfin does tend to show listings and buyer activity rising in spring. But national seasonality tells you little about your ZIP code. What matters is how many comparable homes are active near you now, how many sold recently and how quickly. For that, ask your agent for local inventory and days-on-market figures rather than accepting a blanket "we list in spring."

For a wider look at what buyers are doing now, see our piece on housing market buyer demand and whether sellers are giving up.

The calendar dates Spaniak avoids

Spaniak does not say fall or winter is bad. She names a short list of specific periods she tries to avoid:

• The Thursday before Thanksgiving through the Sunday after. She calls it a tough stretch, though she once listed then in Chicago and negotiated offers on the holiday itself.
• Christmas week. Few people want to tour homes or leave their own.
• Very cold weeks in January, especially in a climate like Chicago's.
• August, which she says is not a great month, since families head back to school or travel.

She also says to avoid pulling a listing off the market over the holidays, which she considers a strategy mistake. Her reasoning is that buyers who are out looking then are motivated, and a delisted home loses its place in front of them.

These are one agent's preferences from one region. She acknowledges that markets differ and describes a Colorado mountain-area agent who said almost nothing is shown there from November until spring. In a market like that, a fall listing may sit with no activity.

When waiting is the right call

Spaniak is not against waiting in every case. She names three situations where it can make sense:

1. The home needs significant repairs. If problems would put off buyers, fixing them first can matter more than the season.
2. You do not know where you are moving. Selling before you have a plan can mean temporary housing and two moves.
3. Your market has a big seasonal swing. If local agents can show that winter listings truly stall, patience may be rational.

She adds that if you have planned a spring sale for years, there is no reason to change course.

One reader in the live chat planned to list in late March or early April and was already decluttering and painting. Spaniak and her colleague Lisa advised contacting agents now, roughly five to six months ahead. The point is not to sign immediately but to get advice before spending on projects that may not raise the sale price. Spaniak repeated this theme often: have an agent walk through the home before paying for windows, new bathrooms or other significant upgrades. She said she would hold off on replacing a water softener that still works, and instead disclose the issue.

Pricing and timing matter more than the season

Several answers in the Q&A came back to price. Spaniak's rule of thumb is to be under contract within 30 days of listing. In her view, 60 days is acceptable, and beyond that she starts to suspect the home is overpriced or needs work. She notes this varies: 30 to 60 days on the market is fairly normal in Florida right now, she says, but would signal trouble in Chicago.

Other pricing points she made:

• Appraised value is not market value. Appraised value reflects comparable sales, size, age and condition on paper. Market value is what a buyer will pay today, which can be lower when interest rates rise.
• A price cut is the incentive that works. She and Lisa said credits and buydowns offered up front often fail to move buyers, and can weaken negotiations later. Builders are the exception, she says.
• Showings tell you something. If a home gets steady showings, as one viewer's did with six in 19 days, patience may be fine. If showings stop, a lower price is how you get buyers through the door.
• Seller flexibility counts. Lisa argued that easy access, a flexible closing date and a responsive agent are real incentives.

If you are deciding whether to hold out for better financing conditions, our article on sellers waiting for lower mortgage rates covers when holding out stops paying.

Limits of this advice

Treat the video as one agent's experience, not a study. A few cautions:

• No seasonal data was presented. Spaniak did not cite price or inventory statistics comparing fall and spring. Her views come from experience in the Chicago area and her referral network. She even said her guidance is general and that a local agent may know better.
• Spring premiums do exist in many markets. If your area reliably sees more buyers and stronger offers in spring, a delay may pay, especially if you have low carrying costs and no deadline. The question is size and probability, not whether the effect exists.
• Buyer behavior is anecdotal. Her comments that buyers now walk away from contracts more easily, and that earnest money is rarely lost, reflect her view of her markets. Contract terms and deposit rules vary by state and by contract.
• Possible incentives. Spaniak runs an agent-matching service and says she receives a referral fee from the seller's agent only if the sale closes. That does not make her advice wrong, but readers should weigh it. Interview more than one agent and ask for local numbers.

What this means for you

If you are a seller deciding now:

• List the real monthly cost of holding your home and multiply by the months until spring.
• Ask an agent for active inventory, recent sales and days on market in your neighborhood for both fall and spring.
• Avoid the Thanksgiving and Christmas weeks if you can, but do not pull a listing for the season without a reason.
• Price to the market. If there is no traffic after a few weeks, listen to your agent about a reduction.

If you plan to list in spring:

• Speak with an agent now, before committing to major renovations.
• Fix known problems, and disclose those you do not fix.
• Use the months before listing to gather quotes from contractors, who may be slow to respond.

If you are a buyer:

• Fall and winter can mean less competition, and sellers who stay listed through the holidays may be motivated.
• If you must sell a home first, expect resistance. Spaniak says home-sale contingencies rarely win on newly listed homes, while a home-close contingency, where your buyer is already past inspection, is safer for sellers. Homes that have lingered are more likely to accept either.
• Be prepared to offer more or waive some protections if you need a contingency, but talk through the risk with your agent first.

If you own and are not selling soon:

• An agent's walkthrough costs nothing, and it can show whether projects like a basement bathroom will add value or just personal enjoyment.

For broader context on the numbers behind today's market, see why it is so hard to buy a house.

What to watch next

Before deciding, track a few public indicators. Freddie Mac's weekly Primary Mortgage Market Survey shows whether borrowing costs are easing or rising, which affects buyer budgets. Realtor.com and Redfin publish monthly data on active listings, price cuts and days on market. Local MLS data, available through an agent, is the most useful of all.

The decision comes down to your situation. If your carrying costs are modest, your home is ready and your market shows a clear spring jump, waiting can be reasonable. If your costs are high, you have a deadline or inventory is thin right now, a fall listing may avoid months of expense and uncertainty. Either way, an accurate price and a well-prepared home usually matter more than the month on the calendar.